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(No Model.) 2 SheetsSheem 1. F. KELLER. APPARATUS FOR UTILIZING EBB ANDPLOW OF THE TIDE.

No. 584,367. Patented June 15,1897.

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(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2. P. KELLER. APPARATUS FOR UTILIZING BBB ANDFLOW OF THE TIDE. No. 584,367.

Patented June 15, 1897.

ilniirnn Snares FRITZ KELLER, OF BERLIN, GERMANY.

APPARATUS FOR UTILIZING EBB AND FLOW OF THE TIDE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 584,367, dated June 15,1897.

Application filed March 7,1896. $erial No. 582,264. (No model.) Patentedin Germany March 9, 1895, No. 86,027, and in England August 17,1895, No.13,512.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, FRITZ KELLER, a subject of the German Emperor,residing at Berlin, German Empire, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in and Connected with Apparatus for Utilizing the Ebb andFlow of the Tide, of which the following is a specification.

The invention has been patented in Germany, No. 85,027, dated March 9,1895, and in England, No. 13,512, dated August 17, 1895.

In annexed drawings, Figure 1 is a longitudinal section, Fig. 2 across-section, and Fig. 3 a plan view, of the apparatus. Figs. 4 and 5illustrate the whole of the arrangement namely, the break through themainland-dike by means of a sluice provided with a Wheelbox andengine-room located on top thereof.

The adjusting of the elevation of the floating wheel-box with its wheelfor the highest and lowest water-levels is illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2in full and dotted lines.

The machine consists, essentially, of a pontoon of suitable shapeprovided at the front side with a stationary open or divided channel,and having an opening below the channel or below each of these channelswhich can be closed or opened by means of a suitable devicefor instance,by a flexible bottom. A suitable water-wheel is located in the pontooncarried by a wheel-boX adjustable vertically. This wheel revolvesaccording to the direction of the water current and according to themanner in which the wheel is adjusted and as to whether it is flood orebb tide.

For letting in and letting out the water for operating the water-wheel asluice is constructed provided with suitable gates, establishing acommunication between the sea and a reservoir at a distance therefromintended for collecting the water running in and past the water-wheelduring the floodtide. Inside of this sluice a chamber or wheel-boX islocated in which a pontoon forming a floating support for the wheelmoves up and down in suitable guides, according to the height of thewater.

A pontoon a, Figs. 1, 2, and 3, is constructed of vacuum-chambers, Fig.2, in such a manner that it forms two side walls connected by one bottomand is provided at the front part each with a divided or open channel Z)Z),

I which together with the side walls lead to the water-wheel r at thecenter of the pontoon. The water-wheel r is fixed upon a shaft 7',journaled in bearings supported in the side walls of the pontoon. Inorder that the channel for conveying the water past the wheel beadjusted to have the proper fall for the water-as, for instance, fromthe inlet Z) to the point 75 in Fig. 1 the center bottoms of thechannels Z) Z) are cut out at e f, and the free space from the channelZ) to the channel b below the wheel r is alternately opened or closed bymeans of two flexible bottoms c d. These flexible bottoms are arrangedin the center of the wheel 1' and below the same in the side walls uponthe bottom of the pontoon and swing around this point. The opening orclosing of the free spaces of by the bottoms c d is caused by means ofwindlasses l, which raise or lower chains or the like fixed to thebottoms and led around rollers m.

In order to prevent friction at the sides of the wheel-box, Figs. 2 and4L, the pontoon is suitably provided with sliding rollers h at itssides. The transmission of the movement of the water-wheel can occur inany suitable manner.

For actuating the above-described machine two reservoirs are made at adistance from each other and at a distance from the sea, whichcommunicate therewith by means of sluices. The main reservoir has onesluice, the other two sluices, all provided with suitable gates. Yetonly the sluice of the main reservoir and one of the sluices of theother reservoir are provided with a wheel-box or a channel for theadjustability as to elevation of the pontoon, while the second sluice ofthe second reservoir has no wheel-box.

The machine works as follows: Before the commencing of the flood-tide,or during the time the same is coming up, the gates 1'', Fig. 1, areclosed and the flexible bottom 0 is let down, so that the water can runin through the channel Z) and turn the wheel 1", after which it flowsinto the reservoir above mentioned below the channel Z), that is overthe level end of the bottom 0. After the fioodtide is over the gates e'are opened and those on the opposite side, Fig. 1, are closed and thebottom 0 is raised or closed and the bottom cl let down. Then the waterWill How in the opposite direction along the channel I) and toward theseathat is, as soon as the level of the sea gets lower than that of thereservoir.

I olain1 1. A tide-motor consisting of a wheel, the sluice containingthe same, the channels b, b, at opposite ends of the wheel, the gatesfor closing the sluice below the channels and a bottom under thewater-wheel adjustably supported and arranged to connect either

